The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification was and continues to be a yardstick by which prospective project managers can evaluate and demonstrate their ability to perform the duties and responsibilities associated with their position.
The credential has evolved continuously over the last 37 years, which is frequently the result of releasing a new version of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), which serves as one of the primary reference guides for the certification exam.
That is why, with the upcoming release of the PMBOK 7th edition, an important question has arisen: Will the PMP exam be updated to reflect the changes made to the PMBOK?
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Is There Going to Be a Change to the PMP Exam?
What is PMP exam? The PMP exam is a test to become certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI) as a project manager. With the release of The PMBOK Guide, the 7th edition scheduled for August 1, 2021, PMP candidates have wondered if the new edition will affect the certification exam. First, let us state that the exam is not based on the PMBOK; instead, the PMP exam is based on the Examination Content Outline (ECO). Additionally, the PMBOK guide should be used in conjunction with ten recommended reference books when preparing for the PMP certification.
Thus, as we concisely stated in our Everything you need to know about the PMBOK Guide 7th edition blog post, the PMP exam will not be changed immediately upon the release of the PMBOK 7th Edition. Additionally, the PMP exam was recently updated in January 2021. As a result, a new edition of the exam will not be released, at least not for now. The PMI has repeatedly clarified this point by stating that releasing a new PMBOK Guide does not imply that the PMP exam will be changed as a result.
We strongly advise PMP aspirants to consult the PMP exam ECO and prepare using the recommended reference titles. As a result, you should continue to refer to the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, as one of several exam references.
The PMBOK Guide and the PMP Exam Have Evolved Over Time
In August 1983, the PMI created and published the Ethics, Standards, and Accreditation (ESA) Report in response to the need for an official guide to promoting the development of the project management profession.
The ESA report established a framework for project management knowledge by examining various facets of the project management profession and setting critical standards for project management practitioners.
As a result, the PMI launched its first project management certification program in 1984, resulting in the first-ever edition of the PMP certification exam, which was based on the ESA report at the time.
The ESA report was later upgraded to produce the PMBOK as we know it, with the first edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge guide being released in 1996. The PMBOK guide has evolved over time as the field’s theories and practices have been defined and refined.
The PMI released the Second edition of the PMBOK in 2000, followed by the third edition in 2004 and the fourth edition in 2009. The guide was constantly revised to codify best practices in project management.
Meanwhile, the PMP, which had established itself as the de facto standard for project management certifications, was changing in response to PMBOK and ECO updates.
The 5th Edition of the PMBOK was released in January 2013, followed by an updated version of the PMP exam in August of that year. The Examination Content Outline (ECO) was released in June 2015, outlining the PMP’s blueprint and basic outline. In January 2016, the certification exam was changed, but it retained the PMBOK 5th edition as one of its preparation resources.
The PMBOK Guide 6th edition was released in September 2017. While the ECO retained its 2015 format, the PMP exam was changed again in March 2018 to ensure proper use of terminologies and align the process groups, tools, and techniques covered in the exam with the content of the PMBOK Guide 6th edition.
In May 2020, the ECO underwent some changes, followed by a revised edition of the PMP exam in January 2021, while the PMBOK 6th edition remained unchanged.
Considering the pattern of previous Exam Content Outline releases, the PMI updates the ECO every five years or after two to three years following the release of a new edition of the PMBOK guide. As a result, we estimate that the next ECO will launch between 2024 and 2025.
There is, however, a possibility that the PMP exam will be updated sooner. Historically, the certification exam has been revised every two years or six months following the presentation of an upgraded version of the ECO or PMBOK. As a result, we anticipate that the PMI will update the exam in 2022 or 2023 to incorporate the PMBOK 7th edition’s new terminologies and concepts.
These are merely predictions; the PMI may deviate from the pattern established over the last few years. They typically allow a six-month window before changing the exam to allow providers to update their training materials and PMP aspirants to choose which exam version to take.
Conclusion
While changes to the PMBOK guide undoubtedly impact the PMP certification exam, this does not mean the exam is based on the guide. Therefore, aspirants who have begun studying for the exam in 2021 based on the PMBOK 6th edition should not panic! You’re going to sit for and pass the PMBOK examination using the most recent edition of the guide. Keep in mind that for accurate preparation, you should use SPOTO PMP 100% authentic exam dumps, as they will assist you in passing the PMP exam in the shortest time possible.
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